You've Been Gone Too Long
by KingxLeon21
Summary: a SongFic about how Naruto and Sakura feel when they're apart from eachother. I know it sounds kinda iffy but it a good story.


**Disclaimer: I know it has been awhile so just in case you all forgot I don't own Naruto or any of the characters. Nor do I own "Far Away" by Nickleback**

Hey guys KL21 here it has been awhile but I had a lot of ideas for other fics that I was doin and I couldn't let them go. On a sadder note I deleted my fic UKG Jam because I just wasn't feeling it. So I decided to scrap the whole thing and put it on indefinite hold. It may come back one day but for now it is gone. Sorry to those of you who may have had it on your alerts.

On a bit of a lighter note (I feel like an anchorman) I do have a new fic located just below. It is officially my first Naruto SongFic so I would love to know how I did but I will beg for reviews later. The song is "Far Away" by Nickleback. Strange thing is that my Mp3 player never plays this song when I put it on shuffle, so when it did I took it as a sign that I should write something that related to the song and the end result is below.

Everything else is business as usual, bold are song lyrics italics are thoughts and normal is talking.

I will now get out of your way and let you guys enjoy (hopefully) my newest Naruto fic "You've Been Gone Too Long" Please Read, Enjoy, and Review Thank you

* * *

You've Been Gone Too Long

He stood at the gate waiting for his new master to arrive so that he could set off on his journey. Sakura arrived first. She looked like she wanted to say something but she couldn't spit it out. All that came out was, "How long are you going to be away." She cursed herself in her head.

"Ero-Sennin says that it will be about two and a half years." He frowns at the length of time that he'll be away from the village… away from her.

She chuckled at his pouty expression "You know…" She says through giggles, "you should treat your teachers with respect." She tries once more to grasp the words that she wanted to say to him. Two years is a long time. She tries again, "Good luck Naruto." She looked away, ashamed of herself for not having the courage to say it.

He broke out into a huge smile. It wasn't the send off that he wanted but, all the same, it showed that she believed in him and that meant the world to him. "Thanks Sakura-Chan." Seeing that he was genuinely happy she smiled and then all of the other villagers started to show up and wish him a safe trip. He said his goodbyes to the people who had come and then left off on his two year long journey.

**This time, this place  
misused, mistakes  
too long, too late  
who was I to make you wait**

She is taking a five minute break form training with the new Hokage, Tsunade, and she is spending it thinking of him. _I was there at the bridge when we all saw him off. I probably should've told him then but I couldn't find the strength or the nerve, or whatever it was, or is, that allows people to do this sort of thing._

This is how she spent most of her spare time. It's also how she spent some of her time that wasn't quite as "spare". Whenever she would get caught daydreaming she would be punished by being forced to dodge different types of balls thrown by her own sensei. She never really had much luck with it. The colored ones were the worst. The color was in her skin for two days.

After another grueling day of training with Tsunade, She headed home to get some sleep that she felt she deserved. After she washed she put on her night gown and walked over to her bed. On her nightstand she saw the picture of her team. _I know that I shouldn't have let you go. Not without telling you how I felt… the last time I put my heart out there I was crushed… and I don't think I could handle it again._ She feels the tears start to build and quickly starts to blink them away. She places the picture on the back on the night stand. She stares at her ceiling. _Still… he deserves to know._ She rolls over to her side and aces her window and looks out to the distance. _Please be safe out there Naruto… and hang in there you won't have to wait much longer._ The thought of her being able to tell him allows her to smile and she is soon claimed by sleep's warm embrace.

**  
just one chance  
one breath  
just in case there's just one left  
cause you know, you know, you know**

Naruto is startled out of his sleep. Jiraiya stirs and sits up, "You're not usually up at this time of night…" He looks at his pupil and notices the sweat on his face. "Bad dream?"

"No Ero-Sennin, nothing like that I just feel a little…Achoo." Naruto wipes his nose on his sleeve.

"Someone must be thinking about you." The legendary ninja said while drifting off to sleep.

Naruto, now wide awake, can't help but think about his cherry headed teammate. _Wonder if she'll look any different when I get back… to that effect, I wonder when I'll get back._ He turns over to ask his new master but he is already fast asleep. _Lazy perv._ He thinks in disgust. Normally he would wake him up but he decides against it. There are more important things to worry about. _I don't really care what she looks like… she'll still be the same Sakura as when I left. I know it. She had the strangest look in her eyes when I left… sorta like she had a secret or something that she wanted to tell me._ Thoughts of Sakura inevitably led to thoughts of Sasuke which led to the thought of the reason why he left. Those thoughts led directly to… _Akatsuki is after me… after the demon that resides within me. What happened at the village was proof that they could attack at any moment. That is another reason I have to do this… another reason that I had to leave my village. I must keep them safe…I must keep her safe at all cost even my own happiness._ Naruto's face falls as the thought crosses his mind. _Still… it would be nice to tell her, just incase something happens to me, after all, I'm not invincible; my fight with Sasuke taught me that._ Deciding that he really didn't want to think about Sasuke He forced his mind back to Sakura._ She would know how I felt. I just hope that the time at the gate wasn't our last meeting. Whatever the case may be I have to tell her before something happens and I lose my chance… however small it may be._ He lay in the grass and thought about whether or not the nearest village had a ramen shop. With this thought He wasushered into his normal sleep.

**  
I love you. I've loved you all along  
I miss you. been far away for far too long  
I keep dreaming  
You'll be with me and you'll never go  
Stop breathing  
if I don't see you anymore**

Sakura is walking back to the gate. "I hope he comes back today. More importantly I hope nothing happened to him. He's already two weeks late." She doesn't have a long time to wait for him today she, was late for training five times in the last two weeks. She reaches the gate and asks the two keepers (I don't know the names of the two guys that stand in front of the gate so I call them the gatekeepers), "Has Naruto come in today."

They looked at eachother and the one on the left answered, "He came in but I don't know where he went."

Sakura looked dejected. She wanted to be the first person he saw when he returned. She turned to go meet her teacher.

"Sakura-Chan!!" the familiar greeting from a familiar voice assaulted her ears she turns and looks up and sees Naruto falling from the sky with his arms spread out like some sort of idiot bird.

He lands and stands in front of her and she notices how he has grown. _Two years can do wonders for anyone._ She supposes. She always knew that he was strong, he did go toe-to-toe with the one-tailed demon container, after all. But now he looked bigger, stronger, better. _Okay Sakura… here goes nothing._ This was her time. She was going to tell him that she loved him and that she never wants him to go away again. Somehow, however, all that came out was. "Wow, Naruto you've changed." _What was that? I had a speech and everything._ She sighed wishing she could just start over but she pressed forward, "What about me Naruto? Do I look more womanly now?"

Once he landed he took his time taking in the sight of his love. She hadn't really changed all that much but he felt that it was the best thing about her. She was familiar and that was what he needed after being in away from home for so long. When she asked him this question he felt he had the perfect answer. "Wow Sakura-Chan you haven't changed one bit." He was wrong. His wide toothy grin was met with a quite powerful charka infused fist. On the outside she was the same, but she had never been able to do that before. However, despite the pain that he was feeling he was happy that he was home. He was happy to be dragged back to the Hokage's office especially since he was kind of unable to walk because Sakura was dragging him by his legs. He was happy being with her. Half-way to the office he gave up his struggle to free himself from the grip of his pink haired teammate. _What would I do without her?_ He doesn't know why he thought that but he has no time to ponder it as she throws him up to the balcony of the Hokage's office.

**  
on my knees, I will ask  
last chance for one last dance  
cause with you, I'd withstand  
all of hell to hold your hand**

Two years later not much had changed between the two. They were both extremely busy and any time that they had together was almost sacred so they wouldn't ruin it with the possibility of rejected love confessions. But something had happened. Akatsuki had possession of all of the beasts except for the nine-tails. They were mounting an attack on Konoha. Both knew the severity of the situation. Sakura wouldn't be sent out with the attacking force. She is the most skilled medic besides Tsunade, so she will be taking care of the injured nin as they return to the village. Ino and Hinata will be field medics because they also have battle jutsu.

It has been almost five years since then but this moment seems eerily familiar. The worry and the longing they're the same as before. The situation is different but the familiarity can't be denied. If anything those feelings have intensified. She stands at the gate and watches him check and make sure he hasn't forgotten anything. _This may very well be my last chance._ "Naruto wait…I…" as he turns around she is frozen by the look in his eyes.

He starts to walk towards her, reading the expression that lies within her eyes, within her soul, within her heart. He grabs her hand. She looks into his eyes. They are begging her not to say anything while at the same time telling her that he understands. She understands the look on his face and she happily complies. She would do anything to make this easier for him.

He pulls her into a hug and they stand there wrapped up in eachother. Naruto takes in how she feels in his arms, how she looks in his eyes, how she smells; he takes in everything about her that he possibly can. His resolve is strengthened and all he knows is that he feels invincible because… _Nothing will keep me away form her. I'll run through every single one of those Akatsuki bastards if I have to._

He releases her and stares into her eyes once more before leaving. And she knows that no mater what happens he will return to her.

**  
I'd give it all, I'd give for us  
Give anything  
but I won't give up  
cause you know, you know, you know**

He had been gone for another year. Everyone else had returned but Naruto had yet to come back. Reports had told her that there was one Akatsuki member left. That he tried to escape but Naruto had followed. She then remembered his promise and knew who that last member was, _Sasuke._ Everyone told her to stop waiting that if he hadn't come back after all this time that he was probably dead. But she knew better, she knew that he would return to her… he had to.

She was suddenly filled with anger at how everyone had given up on him. He had never given up on any of them. He always believed in them he deserved at least that much. Even after all of this time people still wrote him off as a failure. She looked out of her window. _I will never give up on you Naruto._

**  
I love you. I've loved you all along  
and I miss you. been far away for far too long  
I keep dreaming  
You'll be with me and you'll never go  
Stop breathing  
if I don't see you anymore**

Her mornings are filled with regret at not telling him, there at the gate, that she loved him; that she would always love him. Her afternoons are filled with longing and wishing that he was next to her. Wherever she was, whatever she was doing, she wanted him there with her. Her nights are filled with dreams of him. Some good ones of the life they would have once he returned, and some bad ones of her finding his limp and lifeless body somewhere in the forest. Whenever she had those dreams she would wake up gasping for air as if she had not been breathing for the entirety of that dream. The reality of every one of those dreams scared her. That just made her want him with her more than she already did.

**  
So far away.  
been far away for far too long  
so far away.  
been far away for far too long  
****but you know, you know, you know**

She would sit on the pole where she found him the first time; hoping that he would come home. It's been about a years and a half since she has seen him last.

From her high vantage point she could see something approaching the village it looked as if someone was carrying someone else. Something inside her told her who it was but when she saw the sun catch onto the persons blonde hair she found herself bounding from the pole and running out to him past the gate to look at him. She is so happy that she doesn't even notice the unconscious person on his shoulder.

**  
I wanted, I wanted you to stay  
cause I needed, I need to hear you say  
that I love you. I loved you all along  
and I forgive you for being away for far too long  
so keep breathing  
cause I'm not leaving you anymore  
believe it.  
hold on to me and never let me go**

"Naruto don't ever do that again. You don't know how hard it's been around here, trying to get along without you." She was going to tell him now. She didn't care about the moment she cared about the person standing in front of her. "Naruto… I…" She was cut off by Naruto raising his hand. It was then she took notice of his added cargo. "Who is that?"

He shot her a grin and turned around and she saw him. Their lost teammate, he was finally home. "I never go back on my word." He said turning back around to face his love. "It's still my ninja way, you know." He gave her the "good guy" pose, as Lee so enthusiastically called it, and she chuckled. He rushed off to the hospital but stopped and turned around, "Sakura-Chan, I'm sorry."

"Baka… Naruto no Baka… I forgive you. Just please don't do it again." She was almost to tears.

"I won't." and with that he started towards the hospital and Sakura latched onto his arm and walked with him.

She rested her head on his shoulder. "I know you won't, because I'm not letting go of you."

**keep breathing  
cause I'm not leaving you anymore  
believe it.  
hold on to me and never let me go**

He was finally home. She was finally happy and she felt the weight of a thousand trees lifted off of her. Her heart could beat freely, her lungs could move freely. She could finally breathe again. The nightmares had stopped so she could sleep again. She could see the Sunshine when she woke up in the mornings, she could enjoy her time through the day, all because he came back to her.

They sat at the bar of Ichiraku's and had lunch. She never wanted him to go and there was only one way to make sure of that. "Naruto, you never go back on your word… right?" She looked up at him

He nodded, "Yep. It's how I've always lived and it hasn't steered me wrong yet." He smiled down at her.

She smiled back at him, "Okay, then give me your word that you will never be gone that long again." She thought of the reality of the situation, "At least, not without writing or something." They were still ninja and that meant that nothing was guaranteed.

His face broke out into that all too familiar toothy grin, its one thing about him that had never changed. "I promise. It's the promise of a lifetime. Believe it." That's something that she hadn't heard since his first lifetime promise. They both started laughing.

**keep breathing  
hold on to me and never let me go**

He walked her home and the stopped at a bridge over a stream that ran through the park. They looked down into the stream and saw the stars reflected onto the water. He put an arm around her shoulder and she moved closer to him and nestled her body in close to his. She knew he loved her. She had known since they held eachother at the gate. Likewise, he knew she loved him. He had known just by looking into her eyes at that last goodbye. It didn't need to be said. They felt it in how they held onto eachother. They wouldn't ever let go.

**  
keep breathing  
hold on to me and never let me go**

They stood like that for hours on through the night. They never wanted this moment to end. She looked up at him and he pressed his fore head to hers. "I love you, Naruto." It wasn't needed but it still felt good to finally say it. The feeling that it gave her told her that it was, in fact, long overdue.

She pressed her lips to his softly and sweetly. "I love you too. Sakura-Chan" Her face lit up despite how tired they were. As good as it felt to finally say it, it felt ten times better when she finally heard it.

* * *

There you have a nice long one to apologize for my tardiness and the deleting of my other story. I think I kept thwm both in character but you can never be sure with me. That being said, this story felt really sweet… Even for me… I think I'll write something really angst-y for Sasuke. Of course this is just what I think. I would love to know what ya'll think. So shoot me a review or two or three.

Whether you review or not (I hope you do) thank you for taking your time to read my story, I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.  
Until my nest post, Deuces  
KL21


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